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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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.,«†*$£### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# AND A GIFT SHOP. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### CONSIDERED POOR. ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ SOME ARE SHATTERED. £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### ** ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## ** ** ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# ««««««« * * ««««««« #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ ** ** £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# ** #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# LIT FROM BEHIND. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### ** ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## ** ** ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# ««««««« * * ««««««« #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ ** ** £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# ** #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## FLOOR. ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## BECOME STILL. ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## ** ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# ** ** #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ ««««««« * * ««««««« £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# ** ** #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## ** ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER #£$*†«,...
..,«†*$£## THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ##£$*†«,..
.,«†*$£### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ###£$*†«,.
..,«†*$£## I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ##£$*†«,..
...,«†*$£# THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? #£$*†«,...
....,«†*$£ £$*†«,....
...,«†*$£# I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. #£$*†«,...
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